LNG: A BLESSING OR A BURDEN FOR LONG BEACH?
LNG, or Liquefied Natural Gas, is natural gas, chilled to minus 260 degrees, turning it into a clear, odorless liquid that takes up a tiny faction of the space of gas. When warmed and returned to gaseous form, it is used just like natural gas transported in pipes for warming homes, cooking meals and drying clothes.
LNG is ''the safest of all fossil fuels,'' according to Jim Lewis, one of the world's foremost LNG experts. This outstanding safety record is largely attributed to the fact that LNG does not explode and the vapor will burn only in very specific atmospheric conditions. LNG produces substantially less nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and particulate matter. The South Coast Air Quality Management District is working to develop a network of LNG vehicle fueling stations throughout Southern California and seeking an increased supply of the fuel.
Though you likely have not realized it, you probably have seen vehicles powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) - rather than diesel or gasoline - on the streets and freeways of Southern California, including:
?• Buses operated by the City of Santa Monica, the OCTA and LAX shuttles;
?• Trucks owned by UPS and Vons Supermarkets;
?• Garbage trucks operated by the City of Long Beach.
The proposed LNG terminal in the Port of Long Beach would dramatically increase supplies, and would include an on-site LNG supply depot for distribution to regional LNG fueling centers. This will eliminate the biggest impediments to fleet conversion.
''It's wonderful. We need the gas,'' said Ronald Koopman, a retired scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who spent 11 years testing LNG safety.
But Koopman also warned that a terminal should not be located within two or three miles of a populated area. The Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific are less than two miles downwind from the proposed site. So are the Long Beach Convention Center and the Pike.
Opponents of the new LNG terminal are many, including neighborhood and environmental groups, as well as those concerned about safety in post 9/11 America. They argue that a terminal placed in such close proximity to an urban center will become a natural target for terrorist attacks on American citizens. Analysis by experts is being undertaken to determine the feasibility and risk potential of such an attack.
Additionally, the Coast Guard will supervise and regulate LNG ships coming to Long Beach, according to post-September 11th safety standards. However, it is important to note that there have been nearly 80,000 LNG ship calls at ports all over the world for 40 years without one significant accident or safety problem.
In spite of the enormous energy benefits of LNG, it remains a controversial issue which will undoubtedly affect the quality of life in Long Beach.
LNG, or Liquefied Natural Gas, is natural gas, chilled to minus 260 degrees, turning it into a clear, odorless liquid that takes up a tiny faction of the space of gas. When warmed and returned to gaseous form, it is used just like natural gas transported in pipes for warming homes, cooking meals and drying clothes.
LNG is ''the safest of all fossil fuels,'' according to Jim Lewis, one of the world's foremost LNG experts. This outstanding safety record is largely attributed to the fact that LNG does not explode and the vapor will burn only in very specific atmospheric conditions. LNG produces substantially less nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and particulate matter. The South Coast Air Quality Management District is working to develop a network of LNG vehicle fueling stations throughout Southern California and seeking an increased supply of the fuel.
Though you likely have not realized it, you probably have seen vehicles powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) - rather than diesel or gasoline - on the streets and freeways of Southern California, including:
?• Buses operated by the City of Santa Monica, the OCTA and LAX shuttles;
?• Trucks owned by UPS and Vons Supermarkets;
?• Garbage trucks operated by the City of Long Beach.
The proposed LNG terminal in the Port of Long Beach would dramatically increase supplies, and would include an on-site LNG supply depot for distribution to regional LNG fueling centers. This will eliminate the biggest impediments to fleet conversion.
''It's wonderful. We need the gas,'' said Ronald Koopman, a retired scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who spent 11 years testing LNG safety.
But Koopman also warned that a terminal should not be located within two or three miles of a populated area. The Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific are less than two miles downwind from the proposed site. So are the Long Beach Convention Center and the Pike.
Opponents of the new LNG terminal are many, including neighborhood and environmental groups, as well as those concerned about safety in post 9/11 America. They argue that a terminal placed in such close proximity to an urban center will become a natural target for terrorist attacks on American citizens. Analysis by experts is being undertaken to determine the feasibility and risk potential of such an attack.
Additionally, the Coast Guard will supervise and regulate LNG ships coming to Long Beach, according to post-September 11th safety standards. However, it is important to note that there have been nearly 80,000 LNG ship calls at ports all over the world for 40 years without one significant accident or safety problem.
In spite of the enormous energy benefits of LNG, it remains a controversial issue which will undoubtedly affect the quality of life in Long Beach.
